Severe

How to spell severe

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce severe

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does severe mean?

1. adjectiveVery great, intense, or harsh in degree, often describing pain, weather, or conditions.
2. adjectiveStrict, harsh, or stern in manner or treatment.

Severe in a sentence

• The patient reported severe pain in her lower back.

• The company imposed severe penalties for late filing.

• The region faced severe flooding after three days of rain.

• The new manager has a severe approach to deadlines.

Where does severe come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin severus, an adjective meaning 'serious', 'grave', or 'strict', often used to describe a person of stern and unbending character. Roman writers applied it to discipline, judgement, and even the weather, so the sense of harshness was present from very early on. English took the word in the 1540s by way of the Old French sevre, and it quickly broadened from describing strict people to describing intense or extreme conditions such as pain, illness, or storms. The related noun 'severity' and the verb 'persevere' (literally 'to remain strict or steadfast through') share the same Latin root. A useful spelling note: the word ends in a simple -ere, with only one 'v' and no doubled letters, which is exactly where careless writers go wrong.

How the word is built

• sever- (from Latin severus: serious, strict)
• -e (adjective ending retained from Latin/French)